THE EPIC OF EDEN: ISAIAH Session 1—First Things PP How many chapters are in the book of Isaiah? _______________ PP Why is Isaiah identified as the greatest of the major prophets? NP Because of his statements about the ________________ _________________ NP Isaiah is quoted more than __________ times in the New Testament NP Isaiah is known as the _____________________ gospel PP What barriers do we encounter when studying the book of Isaiah? NP What is a ____________________? NP ____________ is Isaiah talking to and ______________? NP How do I go about ________________________ prophecy? Prophet Talk in Biblical Studies NP Former vs. Latter Prophets YP Former prophets include: ______________________________________________________ YP Latter prophets include: _______________________________________________________ NP Major vs. Minor Prophets YP Major prophets include: _______________________________________________________ YP Minor prophets include: _______________________________________________________ YP Difference? _________________________________________________________________ NP Office vs. Gift YP Isaiah held the ______________________ of the prophet, not just the _________________ The Hermeneutics of Prophecy (Hermeneutics = the science of interpreting Scripture) NP Prophetic books are not ___________________________ NP Prophetic books are _________________________ of ___________________________ and are organized around _________________________ NP The oracles are extremely ________________________. ______________________ is king! NP What is our task? To ________________________ the other __________________ of the conversation The Structure of the Book of Isaiah Isaiah chapters – Isaiah chapters – Things . Things . Israel’s and impending Israel’s of A description of Israel as she after judgment A description of Israel as she Three Different Audiences & Three Different Theological Movements Yahweh’s covenant Isaiah’s Chapters – 742–700 BCE against (and the nations) Yahweh’s The Chapters – 605–539 BCE of Israel (and of the nations) Yahweh’s The Chapters – 539–400 BCE for Israel . and the ! Isaiah 42:9 “Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.” Questions, comments, aha moments: THE EPIC OF EDEN: ISAIAH Session 2—The Office of the Prophet The Office of the Prophet PP Office vs. Gift NP Gift: A temporary __________________________________ resulting in an ___________________ __________________________________ (see Numbers 11:16–17, 24–25; 1 Samuel 10:10–11) NP Office: A _______________________ office in Israel’s government (see Deuteronomy 13; 18) PP What is a theocracy? NP theos + kratos = “the _____________________ of _____________________” NP Three human officers: __________________________, __________________________, __________________________ YP In Israel’s government it was the _____________________ who was the most powerful figure. Why? He __________________ for God NP Legislation that defines the office of the prophet YP Deuteronomy 13:1–5 _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ YP Deuteronomy 18:9–12 _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Divine Intermediaries PP An omen is anything that is ____________________________ as ___________________________ the future NP Casual: Reading ____________________ ___________________ in a mystical light NP Contrived: Actively solicited _________________________ _________ YP Extispicy: reading the ______________________ of a slaughtered animal PP Deuteronomy 18:15 YP “Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him” YP In God’s kingdom it is “The ___________________ of God for the ___________________ of God. ____________________ _____________ to God” The Messenger of the Divine Council PP The concept of the royal court in heaven NP The prophet was understood as a human who was caught up into the actual ___________________ __________________ of the Almighty NP Standard prophet-talk: YP “_______________ _______________ _______________ ______________” YP “_______________ _______________ _________ ____________________” NP The prophet is the ___________________ of the Great King. He speaks __________________ the word that he has heard NP Isaiah 6:1–9 YP What is happening to Isaiah? ________________________________________________________________ YP What is the authority that he has? ____________________________________________________________ The Prophetic (or Covenant) Lawsuit (rîb) PP Yahweh is __________________ his people. On what grounds? ___________________________________________ _____________________________ PP Language of the _____________________ ___________________ PP The prophet becomes Yahweh’s ____________________________ who comes with _______________________, _____________________________, and _______________________ PP Standard format of a Prophetic Lawsuit NP See pages 28–29 in the study guide PP Isaiah chapter 1 _____________________ the message of the book Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Questions, comments, aha moments: THE EPIC OF EDEN: ISAIAH Session 3—The Prophet as Poet and Rhetorician Genre PP When it comes to __________________ ________________________ one of the primary, critical questions you have to ask is: What sort of genre am I dealing with? PP What genre are the biblical prophets? NP These __________________ are meant to be _______________ not necessarily to be _________________ The Nature of Rhetoric PP Rhetoric is a discipline of _______________________, ___________________ communication PP Effective rhetoric derives from: NP Ethos: the perceived _______________________ of the speaker YP Where does a prophet get their ethos? ________________________________________________________ NP Pathos: _________________________ appeal YP The prophets love their __________________, their _________________, and the ____________________ NP Logos: _______________________ YP What is the prophets’ content? ________________________________________ PP In regular rhetoric, the speaker succeeds because they have effectively analyzed and adapted to the ___________________________ ________________________ ______________________ of their _________________________ PP The unique rhetoric of the prophet NP The prophet cannot adapt/change his ______________________ to his audience The Nature of Poetry PP Poetry is defined as ___________________ ________________________ PP “A complex of ____________________________ _____________________ used in combinations and intensities that vary widely from composition to composition even within a single ‘genre’” (James Kugel, The Idea of Biblical Poetry [Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981], 94) PP “A kind of ‘_________________________’ that marks the language as ‘_________________’” (James Kugel, The Idea of Biblical Poetry [Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981], 62) Hebrew Poetry PP Based on the “________________________ _________________________” (James Kugel) PP Based not on ____________________ but on __________________________ PP Format that says: __________ and as a matter of fact ____________ NP A and _________________ ________________ so B NP A and in ____________________ B PP Characteristics NP _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ NP Not so much ____________________________ as there is ________________________ NP A rhythm of ___________________________ The Song of the Vineyard, Isaiah 5 PP Isaiah 5:1–2, 5–7 NP Repetition of ___________________ action NP Cultivated grapes (_________________ grapes) vs. (wild) worthless grapes NP Repetition of the ________________ and the ____________________ NP Vineyard of Yahweh of hosts = the ________________ _____ _______________ PP Viticulture in ancient Israel NP Grain, grapes, olives NP Effort to create vineyard YP Clear the ____________________ YP ___________________ the topsoil: terracing YP Winepresses ____________________ out of the stone NP Isaiah has tapped into a ____________________ value system YP Everyone recognizes that the failed vineyard is an __________________________ disaster YP The audience hear that they themselves are the _______________________ PP Matthew 21:33–46: Jesus pulls in the Song of the Vineyard ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Questions, comments, aha moments: THE EPIC OF EDEN: ISAIAH Session 4—The Life and Times of Isaiah the Prophet: Part I, The Divided Monarchy The Divided Kingdom (Monarchy) 931–586 BCE PP How did the United Kingdom of Israel become divided? ___________________ war in 931 BCE resulted in parallel kingdoms NP Northern Kingdom = ________________________ NP Southern Kingdom = ________________________ In the south . YP the sons of ______________________ rule, YP the _____________________ is located, YP the _____________________ is serving Three Events that Shape Isaiah’s Life NP Syro-Ephraimite